Thursday, August 26

Particularly when said kitchen has just under one and a half square feet of counter space and an oven that I think will take some serious getting used to.

There rooms here are sparse, in the new apartment, almost as if it’s unoccupied. No frames or mirrors decorate the walls, but S’s assortment of mismatched magnets on the fridge do indicate some amount of life within. Personal belongings are hidden - somewhere – organized in closets or boxed in the shadow of my bed; all out of sight. The open windows breathe coldness into the near-empty room on this chilly fall-like morning, pouring light and sharing sounds all at once. Outside and below are cars, bikes and people; punctuated by the occasional unseen skateboarder’s characteristic clack clack over the cracked sidewalk and the tap tap of a runner’s shoes.

Would you believe that I got this couch for free on the side of the road?!? I have never loved a piece of furniture so much!

Passersby share their emotions through these sounds. In the music drifting from rolled-down windows is every degree of each feeling known, and in the horns are frustration and fear. The runners carry determination; the skateboarders: relaxation; the common cars: escape. A collective symphony of life and memories finds its way through the open windows at all hours.

I like it.

These noises might sound awful to some, but the noises remind me that I’m back on campus. There is life in the streets here – all kinds – and so many people just looking for a memorable experience. Their sounds are the proof; we’re here, and things are about to get interesting.

I did live in a dorm last year (and I loved it!), but this is my first time living in an apartment. So far I like it here; our bedroom, bathroom, and dining/kitchen/living room all have large windows, and even though we don’t have much furniture for now, it’s a pretty welcoming space. Unlike the sterile all-white apartments I’ve visited previously, ours has an appreciated character that has been denied to the others. The newer apartments are nice, of course, but ours has just a little extra something that makes it more homey and comfortable. The kitchen isn’t… Well, it isn’t much of a kitchen, but we’re going to make it work. You’ll see.

It will take some time, but soon this bare space will fill with things, both tangible and intangible. It will become home, and it will – hopefully - serve as the backdrop to another exciting year.

I’m ready – are you?

Fried Egg on ToastI do hope that you won’t find this recipe insulting, as it’s not much of a recipe at all! I just don’t have much to share with you for the moment, and I don’t want to leave you hanging. I’m not the kind of person that skips breakfast. Ever. I usually just eat cereal (Man, I love cereal!), but pancakes or eggs and toast make fine substitutes any day of the week. What do you like to eat/make for breakfast?

Butter or oil, for the panSlices of bread, whichever kind and however many you’d like. I like to go with 2 slices of whole wheatEggs, however many you’d likeSalt, coarse favoritePepper

If you have a toaster, start toasting your bread while the egg is cooking. If you don’t have the counter space for a toaster, butter up your pan (or your bread if the butter is soft) and toast it in a skillet. Fumble around for a minute until you find an open space and set toast aside.

In a greased pan over medium-low heat, crack the egg on one side and try to keep it in a contained and small shape. Make sure you throw the shells into the right side of the cabinet under the sink. You know, the one that actually has a garbage can in it. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper, then cover the pan and let sit for a few minutes, checking the egg after 2 or 3 minutes. Cook to your preferred doneness (I like a just-set white and a runny yolk) and slide onto, or next to, your toast. Enjoy your simple breakfast next to an open window (with a cup of coffee if you didn’t forget to buy coffee beans from the grocery store the last time you went even though you went down that isle at least three times), then have a wonderful day!

I remember the feeling of standing in my first kitchen. Mine was even smaller than yours! The place had so little counter space, that my landlord had brought in a small rectangular table to serve as such, otherwise... there was basically none, hah!

I'm sure you and your kitchen will have some battles as you try to cook things and get used to the space, but eventually you'll work things out. I know I did :)

Good luck with your new apartment, and have fun making it all your own!

fried egg on toast is classic, and we do love our pancakes here. though, i'm a sucker for steel cut oats with fruit, nuts, maple syrup and a splash of milk. or a good dutch baby. have you ever had one? sublime.

mmmm .. one of my favorite breakfasts. And I have no bread Or eggs. :(

Have you ever made a "frog in a pond"? You use a cup to make a small hole in the middle of a piece of bread, generously butter a frying pan, put the bread and circle piece in the pan and after a minute or 2, crack the egg in the hole. Once you can't see through the white anymore, you flip it and let it cook for a few minutes on the other side. Plate and enjoy. :) Before I flip it, I like to add more butter to the pan, so both sides are all buttery goodness. And a good way to make sure you don't get runny whites, after you crack the egg in the pan, you cover it .. and it will steam the white to be more firm. SO good. I've heard people of making this, then putting a slice of cheese on top and throwing it in the toaster oven. Delish! Another favorite of mine. My son likes when I use different shaped cookie cutters to cut the hole in the bread. :)

Congrats on the new apartment! In regards to getting used to the oven, you should have an oven thermometer if you don't have one already. I don't know how old your oven is, but newer models tend to be off about what temperature is on the dial or on the display if it's digital. An oven thermometer is a sure-fire way to prevent any baking failures and tragedies because of off-kilter oven temperatures. :) It's also handy if you're using someone else's oven and their oven and its temperatures may not be the same as yours, if you're baking at a different altitude, etc.